Device for preventing fraudulent filling of bottles



(No Model.)

B, W.'NORTO N. DEVIOE FOR PREVENTING FRAUDULENT FILLING 0P BOTTLES.

'N ,151. Patented Apr. 26, 1898.

PATENT Fries..-

BERNARD W. NORTON, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT] DEVICE FOR PREVENTINGFRAUDULENIFILL ING OF BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION. formingpartof Letters Patent No. 603,151, dated April 26,1898.

Applicatiog iileifiugust 4, 1 8 9 '7.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD W. NORTON, of Meriden, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inDevices for Preventing the FraudulentFillin g of Bottles; and I dohereby declare the following, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of the neck of a bottle with the closing-capapplied thereto; Fig. 2, a vertical section-thereof Fig. 3, a sectionalview on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a'sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig.3; Fig. 5, a top view of the neck of a bottle; Fig. 6, a side view ofthe neck of the bottle; Fig. 7, an under side view of the cap detached;Fig. 8, a plan view of the disk detached; Fig. 9, a side view of thesame; Fig. 10, a perspective view of the' upper end of the neck of abottle, illustrating the modification; Fig. 11, a plan view of a diskadapted for engagement therewith; Fig. 12, a side View of the same; Fig.13, a sectional view illustrating the engagement of the parts asdescribed in the modification, and Fig. 14 a sectional View of the capshown in Fig. 13 detached. y

This invention relates to an improvement in .devices for preventing thefraudulent filling or refilling of bottles, the object being a simpleconstruction in which the-bottle may be corked in the usual manner andwhich when opened in no wise interferes with the discharge of thecontents of the bottle, but which in opening so mutilates the lockingdevice as to prevent its second use; and it consists in the constructionas hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

In carrying out my invention various forms may be employed, butpreferably the upper edge of the neck A of the bottle will be reduced toform a shoulder a, and from the upper edge of the neck on opposite sideswill extend lugs b, formed integral with the neck. In the sides of theneck adjacent to the said lugs are notches c. The bottle is closed by acork B in the usual manner, the upper end of the said cork being forcedflush with or below the upper end of the neck. Over the Serial No.647,126. (No model.)

upper end of the neck is placed a disk 0, which is formed with notchesd, which clear the lugs b., It is also formed with downwardly-eXt-ending fingers e,which are adapted to enter the notches 0. These fingers havemore or less spring and normally project outward over the shoulder a.The disk is also formed with upwardly-extending arms f. The lockingdevice consists of a cap D, closed at its upper end and formed at itslower edge with an inwardly-turned flange g, leaving an openingcorresponding in diameter to the external diameter of the upper end ofthe neck, and so that when passed over the neck it will rest upon theshoulder a. In opposite sides of the flanges are notches h, into whichthe lugs 19 extend when the cap is set over the upper end of the neck.When the cap is thus set over the neck and rests upon the shoulder a,the upper edge of the flange 9 will pass beneath the ends of the lugs19, so that the cap may be rotated upon the shoulder. When thus inplace, the cap is rotated either to the right or left, and so that theflange passes beneath thelugs until the notches h register with thespring-fingers e, which then snap into the notches and so as to preventfurther rotation of the cap, the disk being held down upon the top ofthe neck by the engagement of the arms f with the inner surface of thecap.

When thus engaged, the spring-fingers e prevent the rotation of the capD, and the engagement of the lugs with the flange g prevent the upwardmovement of the cap, which can only be removed by a force sufficient tobreak the said lugs, which, when broken, permit the ready removal of thecap and disk and so as to allow the cork to be drawn in 0 the usualmanner. The lugs having thus been broken prevent the application ofanother cap, and hence at once indicates that the bottle has beenopened.

Instead of forming the neck of the bottle 5 with the shoulder andnotches 0, before mentioned, the neck may be provided on opposite sideswith ribs 10 and the disk with bayonet-slots m, into which the lugs bmay extend,

and with outwardlyextending fingers n,

which will register with the ribs is when the disk is interlocked withthe lugs b. The disk is also constructed with upwardly-extendingspring-arms 0, formed with shoulders 19, which will snap over the flangeg of the cap when the cap is set over the upper end of the neck. In thisconstruction the ribs 7; and fingers n prevent the rotation of the cap,and the shoulders p, engaging with the flange, prevent the upwardmovement of the cap as the said disk is held downward byits engagementwith the lugs Z2 and as in the previous constructions necessitates thatthe saidlugs be broken. before the cap may be removed. To prevent therotation of the disk within the cap, a shoulder q is formed above theflange at one side of one of the notches h.

It will thus be seen that the bottle may be corked or uncorked in theusual manner-and avoid the contact of the contents with metal, as isunavoidably necessary in many of the devices for this purpose, and thatthe device may be readily applied without special mechanism and whenopened in no wise interferes with the delivery of the contents of thebottle,butis an absolutelysafe protection against the reuse of thebottle.

Another advantage of this construction is that a distinguishing name ormark may be stamped or applied to the upper face of the disk or to theinner face of the cap, so as to be exposed through the cap, suchdistinguishing mark thereby being protected against removal.

It is apparent without further description or illustration that insteadof forming the frangible lugs upon the neck of the bottle they may beformed upon the cap and the interlocking groove upon the neck of thebottle.

It will be understood from the foregoing that I do not wish to limit myinvention to either of the forms shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the neck of a bottle formed with integral lugsprojecting beyond its upper end, of a disk adapted to be set over theupper end of said neck, and formed with clearance-notches for said lugs,whereby said disk is held against rotation, said disk also formed withlocking-fingers, and the cap also adapted to be set over the upper endof the said neck and interlocked with said cap through theinstrumentality of said disk, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the neck of a bottle, of a cap adapted to be setover the upper end of said neck, one of said parts formed with frangiblelugs and the other with grooves to receive them, of a disk also adaptedto be set over the upper end of said neck upon which it is held againstrotation, said disk formed with fingers for engagement with said cap,whereby the cap and neck are interlocked, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the neck of abottle formed at its upper end withintegral lugs, an external shoulder below the upper end of said neck,and notches in the sides of the neck above said shoulder, of a diskcorresponding in diameter to the diameter of the upper end of said neck,and formed with notches, downwardly-turned fingers and upwardly-turnedarms, and a cap adapted to be set over the upper end of said neck andformed at its lower edge with an inwardly-turned flange, in the oppositesides of which are notehes,whereby the said cap maybe interlocked withsaid neck through the instrumentality of said disk, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD XV. NORTON.

Vitn esses:

HENRY DRYHURST, ARTHUR II. GARDNER.

